Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta admits their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Emre Can may not be as straightforward as they hoped.

The Germany midfielder’s current contract expires in the summer and he is eligible to sign a pre-contract deal with an overseas club. But despite the Serie A side having coveted the 24-year-old for several months no such agreement has been struck.

Just over a week ago Can revealed his agent was still talking to Liverpool about their offer of an extension and it seems likely he will now wait until the end of the season to make a final decision.

“The interest is clear. We want to try and bring him to us, but we cannot do it because he currently has a contract with Liverpool,” Marotta told Italian broadcaster Premium Sport.

“He could renew it and, moreover, there are other teams interested in him.

“We want to try and bring him to Turin. I am stating this with full awareness that he might not arrive, but we need to have important objectives.”